Chapter 31

Decision made, I dressed quickly in jeans and a dark sweater, pulling on sturdy boots. I slipped out of the house quietly, nodding to the guards stationed at the entrance who seemed surprised but did not stop me.

The night was cool and clear, stars scattered like diamond dust across the velvet sky. I followed the path that I had seen the patrol teams take earlier, heading toward the eastern border of the territory. The forest grew denser as I walked, moonlight filtering through the canopy to cast dappled shadows on the ground.

I wasn't entirely sure what I hoped to accomplish. Perhaps I just wanted to feel useful, to prove to myself that I could take an active role in pack affairs beyond planning menus and organizing social events.

As I neared what I believed to be the border, the forest fell unnaturally silent. No insects chirped, no night birds called. The hair on the back of my neck rose in primal warning.

Something was wrong.

I turned to retrace my steps, heart beginning to pound, when a hand clamped over my mouth from behind. I tried to scream, to shift, but a sharp, burning pain at my throat stopped me cold. I could smell silver—toxic to werewolves, preventing shifting and weakening us significantly.

"Don't move," a harsh voice whispered in my ear. "The knife is pure silver. One scratch and the poison will enter your bloodstream."

Terror froze me in place. As my captor turned me around, I found myself facing a bald man with cold, calculating eyes. The silver knife in his hand gleamed menacingly in the moonlight, its edge pressed against my throat.

"The Alpha's mate," he said, a cruel smile spreading across his face. "What a fortunate catch."

I tried to speak, but fear had stolen my voice. Behind the bald man, I could make out the shapes of three other men, all armed, all watching with predatory intensity.

"Walk," the bald man ordered, removing his hand from my mouth but keeping the knife at my throat. "And don't try to call for help. Your precious Alpha is occupied on the western border—a distraction we arranged specifically for this opportunity."

My mind raced as he forced me to move deeper into the forest, away from the territory's heart. These weren't random hunters—this was a planned abduction.

"What do you want?" I finally managed to ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

The bald man's grip on my arm tightened painfully. "Justice," he spat. "Your mate has blood on his hands. He needs to be taught a lesson."

"Whatever you think he's done—"

"I don't think. I know." He jerked me to a stop, spinning me around to face him. His fingers dug into my chin as he forced me to look into his eyes. "Kieran Reid ordered the execution of my brother. He sent assassins into neutral territory and had him murdered while he slept."

Cold dread filled me. "That can't be true."

The man laughed, a hollow, bitter sound. "You think you know him? Your beloved Alpha has done things that would make your blood run cold. And now he's going to learn what it feels like to have something precious taken from him."

I tried to wrench away, but his grip was iron. "Let me go!"

One of the other men stepped forward, striking me hard across the face. The blow sent me reeling, stars exploding behind my eyes.

"You'll accept his punishment," the bald man hissed, yanking me back upright. "As his mate, his debts are yours to pay."

Tears of pain and fear welled in my eyes as they dragged me further into the darkness. My thoughts turned desperately to Kieran. Where was he? Would he realize I was missing? Could he find me before these men did whatever they planned to do?

I was trembling uncontrollably now, cold sweat breaking out across my skin. The silver knife remained at my throat, a constant burning threat that prevented me from shifting or fighting back effectively.

"Please," I begged, stumbling as they pulled me over uneven ground. "Whatever quarrel you have with Kieran, I'm not part of it. I barely know him."

The bald man stopped abruptly, his eyes narrowing as he studied my face. "You're not marked," he realized, his gaze dropping to my neck. "The bond hasn't been completed."

A dangerous smile spread across his face. "Even better. Taking his intended mate before the bond is sealed—there's no greater insult to an Alpha."

Fresh terror coursed through me. I had no idea what these men intended, but the malice in their eyes left no doubt that their plans were sinister. In that moment, I would have given anything to have Kieran's mark on my neck, to have the completed bond that might have allowed him to sense my location, my fear.

"Kieran will find me," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. "And when he does—"

"Oh, we're counting on it," the bald man interrupted, his smile widening. "But by then, it will be too late."

A twig snapped in the darkness beyond our small group. All four men froze, heads turning toward the sound. For a brief, heady moment, hope surged within me. Had Kieran found me already?

But the forest remained silent, no rescuer emerging from the shadows. After a tense moment, the bald man gestured to his companions.

"Move faster," he ordered. "We need to reach the vehicles before dawn."

As they forced me forward once more, my desperation grew. I had to find a way to leave a trail, to help Kieran track me. When my captor's attention momentarily shifted, I managed to tear a small strip from my sleeve, letting it fall silently to the forest floor.

I longed for Kieran with every fiber of my being, my heart crying out for him across the distance between us. Whether it was the nascent mate bond or simply my own desperate need, I had never wanted anyone or anything as badly as I wanted him to appear in that moment—to save me from these men and whatever fate they had planned.

"Kieran," I whispered into the darkness, a prayer more than a call. "Please find me.”